INTRODUCTION
by
His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal
Darío Castrillón Hoyos
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
JOHN PAUL II: XXV YEARS OF PONTIFICATE
"I will give you pastors according to my own heart" (Jer 3,15). The Church and the whole of humankind have experienced, in these twenty five years of the Pontificate of John Paul II, the fulfilment of the Prophet Jeremiahs’ announcement: the divine promise, fulfilled in a supreme and definite manner in Christ, has found its renewal and full achievement in the man sent by God, Karol Wojtyla, called upon to assume Peter’s mission at the end of the second Millennium to once again show the world, overshadowed by divisions and hatred, with his words and his life the path that leads to Christ, "the true light, which enlightens every man"(John 1,9).
Today, in this twenty second international theological videoconference, we wish to join all believers and all men of good will, in this joyous Jubilee of the twenty fifth anniversary of the Holy Father’s Pontificate, to emphasise a number of aspects of his elevated teachings and his courageous pastoral work, addressed at proclaiming the Gospel to the very ends of the earth and, as the Pontiff himself recently stated, "to my last breath"(Speech in the Paolo VI Hall to the College of Cardinals on October 18th 2003, no. 2)
"The good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep" (John 10,11). In these words spoken by Jesus one can in a certain sense, summarise all John Paul II’s Ministry during these 25 years of his pontificate.
A man of God, he has once again given humanity the face of the Father, identifying himself in Christ who – as we were reminded in his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte – "not only had to take on the face of man, but he had to burden himself with the "face" of sin" (no. 25), to redeem himself according to justice to real life. The Pope did this first of all, through prayer, untiringly keeping watch over the world with the strength of contemplative prayer.
As we were recently reminded by Reverend Professor Tadeusz Styczen, a pupil, colleague and friend of the then Cardinal Wojtyla at the Faculty of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin, John Paul II wished to welcome into his life the invitation expressed by Christ in Gethsemane: "Watch and pray"(Mt 26,41) referring to himself that opportunity that The Lord offered Peter, James and John two thousand years ago, to join Him during His agony of prayer. "The prayer of Gethsemane still lasts!" exclaimed Cardinal Wojtyla (K. Wojtyla, Sign of Contradition, Meditations, Ed. Università Cattolica di Milano, 1977, p.166; see the Osservatore Romano no. 239 dated 15.10. 2003, p. 5).
"Simon, do you sleep?" (Mark 14, 37). Peter today answers: "Deus, Deus meus, ad te de luce vigilo"(Sal 62,2) . The Pope has been "watching over us" for 25 years, as the universal Shepherd of the flock (see John 21, 15-17), becoming the pilgrim of the Word made Man, of He who is the Redeemer of humankind, the centre of the cosmos and of history.
How many signs of this passage of Christ have been left to humankind by this pilgrim Pope, "Vicar of Christ’s love!" (Saint Ambrose, Expositio in Luc., lib. X). His 102 apostolic journeys abroad, the 129 countries visited offering his kiss to the earth there, a symbol of Christ’s service and charity; his visits to the Marian sanctuaries in five continents and to the parishes in Rome; his incessant weekly catechesis from the Seat of Peter, his meetings in the world’s new Areopagus: the Universities, the parliaments, the international organisations, to only mention a few aspects of his evangelising work.
This is why the Pope, a man of God, is also a man for the world. His contemplative praying becomes a presence and an effective action amidst men; action bearing Christ’s forgiveness and peace, unity for Christians and a renewed approach for those of other religious confessions; and also the faithful testimony of the Word made Man to the extent of martyrdom.
In conclusion, I believe that more than any words, it is best to use the words spoken by John Paul II who from Saint Peter’s square last October 16th, when he said: "From the very beginning of the pontificate, my thoughts, my prayers and my acts have been animated by only one wish: to bear witness that Christ, the Good Shepherd, is present and works within His Church. He continuously searches for each lost sheep, leads it back to the fold, bandages it wounds; He looks after the sheep that is weak and ill and protects the strong ones. This is why from the very first day, I have never ceased to exhort: "Do not be afraid to welcome Christ and to accept His power!" Today I repeat strongly: "Open, in fact throw open your doors to Christ!" Allow yourselves to be guided by Him! Trust His love!"
This is the subject that from various points of view, will be discussed today in this international session by the theologians invited to speak, and to who I address my most heartfelt thanks. The interventions, I remind you, will take place live from ten countries in five continents. Meditation will be held from Rome, from the Head Offices of the Congregation for the Clergy, by Eminences Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and Cardinal Professor George Cottier, and by the Reverend Professors Bruno Forte and Michael Hull,
There will also be speeches from Venice by His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Scola, from Manila by Professor José Vidamor Yu; from Taiwan by Professor Louis Aldrich, from Johannesburg by Professor Graham Rose, from Bogotá by Professor Silvio Cajiao, from Regensburg H. E. Professor Gerhard Ludwig Müller, from Sydney by Professor Julian Porteous, from Madrid by Professor Alfonso Carrasco Rouco, and from Moscow by Professor Igor Kowalewsky.
I hope you all enjoy the conference